Milan held in match halted by racist jeers

May 12, 2013|Reuters

(ALESSANDRO GAROFALO, REUTERS)

(Reuters) - AC Milan's hopes of Champions League football next season lie in the balance after they had Sulley Muntari dismissed before halftime and drew 0-0 with AS Roma on Sunday in a match briefly halted for racist behaviour in the crowd.

Visitors Roma's 36-year-old captain Francesco Totti was also sent off for elbowing in an unsavoury match which was halted for around one minute because of chanting by Roma fans aimed at Milan's Mario Balotelli.

Fiorentina kept up the chase on third-placed Milan by beating Palermo 1-0 in atrocious conditions, condemning the Sicilians to Serie B after a turbulent season in which they employed three different coaches, two of them twice.

Siena, beaten 2-1 at Napoli, also went down, joining previously relegated Pescara in Serie B while Genoa, held 0-0 at home by injury-ravaged Inter Milan, and Torino, who drew 1-1 at Chievo Verona, scrambled to safety.

Serie A leading scorer Edinson Cavani struch Napoli's first goal, taking his tally to 28 for the season.

Napoli had already clinched second place behind champions Juventus and a place in the Champions League group stage next season.

Antonio Di Natale, 35, scored both goals as fifth-placed Udinese beat Atalanta 2-1 to stay on course for the Europa League, with Lazio two points behind in sixth after beating Sampdoria 2-1.

Milan needed to beat Roma to clinch third place and a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds with a game to spare but, after a lively 40 minutes, it all went wrong with a moment of madness from Muntari.

The Ghanaian was booked, lost his temper and grabbed the referee's arm as Milan players protested, leaving the official with no option but to send him off.

BALOTELLI JEERED

Roma seemed uncomfortable with their numerical advantage and continued defending for much of the second half, causing the game to deteriorate into a niggly affair.

Play was stopped by the referee early in the second half after Roma fans jeered Milan striker Mario Balotelli.

Following the guidelines set down by the Italian federation and the government's sports security watchdog, a warning was announced over the public address system and play resumed.

Milan survived when Erik Lamela appeared to be tripped by Kevin Constant in the penalty area before Totti got his marching orders.

Milan have 69 points from 37 games, while Fiorentina have 67. Both teams are away to lowly opponents next Sunday with Milan travelling to Siena and Fiorentina to Pescara.

If they finish level on points, Fiorentina will take third place on having the better head-to-head record.

The games involving Palermo, Genoa and Torino all kicked off at lunchtime following a row sparked by the Giro D'Italia.

Local authorities in Florence ordered the Fiorentina match to start at 1230 local time to avoid clashing with the cycle race, which reached the city later in the afternoon.

But Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini said Palermo would refuse to play unless the Genoa and Torino games were also brought forward, with Serie A eventually agreeing on Thursday afternoon.

Former Palermo forward Luca Toni scored the only goal just before halftime and Palermo's hopes of a fightback ended as torrential rain in the second half left huge puddles on the pitch.

The Sicilians began and ended the season under Giuseppe Sannino, who was fired after three games and replaced by Gian Piero Gasparini.

He lasted until early February when he was also sacked, replacement Alberto Malesani went after three games, Gasparini re-hired and fired after two matches, paving the way for Sannino to return.